Zo's Foes: Lonzo Ball to see mirror image in Ricky Rubio during Lakers-Jazz

Saturday’s dance in Salt Lake City between the Los Angeles Lakers and Utah Jazz should be at once a stark contrast in styles—with the former as the fastest team in the NBA and the latter as the second-slowest, per NBA.com—and a meeting of mirror images, particularly at point guard between Lonzo Ball and Ricky Rubio.

Like Ball, Rubio came into the NBA as a highly-touted floor general with a flare for passing and a questionable jump shot. And, as has been the case with Zo so far, the now-27-year-old Spaniard proved both points true from the outset.

As a rookie, Ricky averaged 8.2 assists per game. That would’ve put him among the top-10 in dimes had injuries not limited him to 41 games.

Rubio, though, couldn’t shoot a lick. He shot the three-ball decently enough (34.0 percent), but struggled so mightily to finish in the paint and around the rim that his overall field-goal rate settled in at an abysmal 35.7 percent.

Compared to Lonzo’s first five games, those percentages sparkle. After a 2-of-7 shooting night against the Toronto Raptors, Ball finds himself hitting just 31.3 percent of his attempts overall, including a ghastly 23.1 percent from three-point range.

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The Purple and Gold sure hope so. If Rubio is any guide, it might be a while before Ball finds the range—assuming he ever does. Rubio cracked the 40-percent mark from the field just once during his six seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, and has yet to approach the three-point percentage he posted when he first arrived from Europe during the 2010-11 season.

In other respects, Lonzo is already either at or ahead of young Ricky’s pace. Ball’s 8.4 assists rank as the seventh-most in the NBA so far through 2017-18. And among guards, only Ben Simmons (if you consider him a guard at 6-foot-10) and Russell Westbrook can boast more rebounds than Lonzo’s 8.6—twice as many as Rubio has averaged in his NBA career.

Ball has shown a knack for picking off passes, and could add to his 1.2 steals per game by disrupting a Rubio-led Jazz attack that’s racked up the highest turnover rate in the Association to date (19.5 percent).

The second-highest rate? The Lakers’, at 17.8 percent. With Rubio pressuring Ball at the point of attack, that number could rise.

Rubio has been more of a scoring threat in Salt Lake City, at 13.8 points per game, than he ever was in Minneapolis. If the Lakers are inclined to hide Lonzo on defense—and given the success he’s had guarding All-Stars in John Wall and Kyle Lowry his last two games, they might not be—they could slot him onto a wing, be it a largely stationary starter like Joe Ingles or the non-threatening Thabo Sefolosha off the bench.

Ball might also get his first assignment against fellow rookie Donovan Mitchell. The two never crossed paths on the court at the NBA Las Vegas Summer League, albeit while lighting up Sin City in their own ways. The Louisville product’s two-way talents have thus far earned him three starts—two in place of the injured Rodney Hood—though his shooting splits in either role make Zo look like he’s had the hot hand.

The biggest challenge of all for Ball and the Lakers will be playing at its preferred frenetic tempo, especially on a road back-to-back at altitude.

According to NBA.com, the Lakers, with their Showtime-esque ethos, have risen to the top of the league in pace, pumping out 108.6 possessions per game. Utah on the other hand, has ground its way to a mere 97.24 possessions per game—the second-fewest in the Association.

If Ball can handle Rubio’s pressure and keep the Purple and Gold moving, L.A. just may escape the Beehive State with a second road win and a 3-3 record through six regular-season games.

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